The Detroit News ran an interesting article recently regarding the past, present, and future of Cass Park (Cass Corridor) where some of us from the Rochester Church work on a regular basis, serving the poor.
This was an interesting section from the piece.
In the 1970s, the Cass Corridor was filled with Appalachian families and still had an area called Chinatown, said Patrick Dorn, executive director of the Cass Corridor Neighborhood Development Corporation, which rehabilitates and builds affordable housing nearby.
Those with enough money left and the neighborhood started to decay once property owners started selling to negligent owners, Dorn said. The slide worsened in the 1980s when the city made the area home to social service providers such as homeless shelters.
"That was the finishing touch," Dorn said.
"Whenever you have isolationism where there's nobody there, except people you wouldn't want to meet in the dark, you're not going to be the first one to put money in."
The neighborhood is exceedingly poor, especially compared to the rest of the city. Median household income is $8,317, far below the city's median household income of $29,526, according to the U.S. Census.
Jesus wants to send his people to the places no one else wants to go. That's why we work in Cass Park. That's why we pray for Cass Park. That's why we help those who live in Cass Park. That's why even began to think about Cass Park in the first place.
3 comments:
at the moment i am reminded of the chorus from a U2 song, "Window In the Skies,": "Oh can't you see what our love has done?"
wow..unbelievable article. Praise be to God for servants like you who take Jesus to those who the world shuns. Keep up the awesome work!! Sometime Jason and I would love to get a babysitter for Matthew and join you guys down there. Such a great thing you are doing and a great outlet you have given Triad and the Rochester Church to get out of their comfort zones for Christ. Thank you for all you do!
I am torn about this. On the one hand, I'm excited that this area will be revitalized.
On the other hand, I know the hundreds of homeless and nearly homeless will be shifted without much thought or consideration.
It will be interesting to watch what happens to Cass Park now that big money and powerful people are involved.
Juliani (fmr. NYC mayor) is praised for his contributions toward homelessness. When you ask the people who run shelters and work in these settings in NYC (as I was able to do last March)--they tell you that there are more homeless in NYC--its simply gone underground.
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